McNamara MEP Calls for Action on Drug Debt Intimidation

Speaking in the European Parliament’s plenary debate on the rights and protection of victims of crime, Independent MEP from Clare, Michael McNamara, called for urgent action at national and European level to support victims of drug debt intimidation, a growing crisis he described as affecting young people across Ireland and, increasingly, across the EU.

MEP McNamara drew attention to the particular vulnerability of young people caught in cycles of drug debt, noting that victims are routinely threatened not to approach police and they comply because they do not believe they will receive protection. He described this pattern as increasingly prevalent right across the Ireland South constituency, is no longer confined to cities and argued it cannot be unique to Ireland as drug use rises across the European Union.

Speaking in the Chamber, McNamara highlighted: “These are often young people who are afraid to seek help. They are told: don’t go to the gardaí. And they don’t, because they don’t believe they will receive protection. We need to find a way instil confidence in people that they will receive protection.”

The scale of the problem at home is stark. Ireland’s first national data report on drug-related intimidation, published this year by D.R.I.V.E. (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) and the Health Research Board, recorded over 1000 cases across every county of the State in 2024-2025. Almost two-thirds of victims were living with family members and over one-third of those cases were actively experiencing intimidation at the time they sought help. Drug-related debt was present in over two-thirds of cases, ranging from under €100 to more than €20,000. Nearly three in ten victims endured intimidation for more than a year, and in over a third of cases no support was offered to the individual despite their disclosure.

Responding to this report, McNamara stated: These figures should be a wake-up call for the Government. Over a thousand cases recorded in a single year and that is only what has been disclosed. Behind every one of those cases is a family living in fear. We need properly resourced support services, we need victims to believe they will be protected if they come forward, and we need a serious political commitment to tackling this at home as well as in Europe

MEP McNamara called on the European Commission and member states to treat victims of drug debt intimidation as the victims of crime they are, ensuring access to genuine protection and meaningful support. He argued that as drug use increases across the EU, drug debt enforcement through intimidation and violence is a pan-European problem that demands a coordinated European response alongside robust action at national level.

McNamara Leads Cross-Party MEP Letter to EU Foreign Policy Chief Demanding Action After Israeli Military Seizes Civilian Vessels Near Crete

Clare-based MEP Michael McNamara has today led a letter signed by Members of the European Parliament to HR/VP Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, demanding immediate intervention following the seizure by Israeli military forces of civilian vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Crete.

Among those unaccounted for is Irish citizen and Ennis man Martin Guilfoyle, who  is among 7 Irish citizens who were aboard one of the intercepted vessels. His whereabouts and welfare remain unknown. McNamara has also written separately to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Irish Permanent Representative to the EU and the Irish Ambassador in Tel Aviv demanding urgent consular intervention on their behalf.

The letter, backed by MEPs from various different political groups, describes the interception as a serious act of aggression by a foreign military power in European waters, hundreds of miles from Gaza, with no legal or security justification. The co-signatories are calling on Kallas to intervene at the highest diplomatic level, summon the Israeli Head of Mission to the EU, place sanctions on the table, and report urgently to the European Parliament.

McNamara said of the incident: “This is a serious act of aggression by a foreign military in European waters. EU citizens – including  Irish citizens – are unaccounted for. I am not prepared to wait while bureaucratic processes run their course. I am demanding immediate action from Kallas and the EU to act.

The Global Sumud Flotilla departed from Italy on Sunday carrying over 400 civilians from multiple countries on a humanitarian mission to Gaza. Twenty-two of its vessels were intercepted by Israeli military forces on 29 April. The interception took place approximately 600 nautical miles from Gaza which is far beyond any previous Israeli interdiction of a civilian flotilla.

McNamara added “Israel cannot continue to behave like a rogue state without consequences”

Department of Justice

Following criticism by the High Court of the failure to include a person on the sex offenders register after being informed by UK authorities of a relevant conviction there, I asked the Tánaiste if he had confidence in the Department of Justice and its stewardship.

Direct Provision accommodation

Despite regularly citing EU and international legal obligations, the Government fails to clarify how many in direct provision are not entitled to accommodation under EU/international law and says it may not even be able to ascertain the figure.

That figure is likely to be several thousand as it includes the vast majority of those who’re waiting months and years for the Justice Minister to decide on their Leave to Remain applications (after their asylum claims is refused).

Anti-social behaviour in Ennis

The Justice Minister says there’s no link between the failure to adequately police the streets of inner city Dublin and last week’s rioting and looting. I disagree. One leads to the other. I pointed out the growth in anti-social activity in Ennis of late and called for it to be tackled by Gardaí.

Rights of way Bill to be published

The Government has confirmed to Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara that the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill will be published imminently.

Responding to Deputy McNamara in the Dáil last night, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the Bill will begin its passage in the Seanad next week.

Deputy McNamara has previously expressed his support for the short amending Bill that will remove an upcoming deadline to register rights of way.

November 30th had originally been set as a deadline for receipt of applications for a court order to confirm a right by prescription with new rules due to take effect from December 1st.

Deputy McNamara has welcomed the abolition of the deadline proposed under the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill 2021, which he described as “necessary to prevent stress between neighbours and to avoid a large volume of unnecessary court cases to register rights that have existed for generations.”

“In effect, every right of way dispute in the country, and many cases where there is as yet no dispute, would be brought to a head at the end of November, ending up in divisive Court cases with inevitable resultant legal costs,” the Clare farmer and barrister added.

He continued, “Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys has previously acknowledged there is legal uncertainty about how the new rules may be interpreted in practice, and that it has not yet been possible to register many important prescriptive rights. These difficulties are also causing significant delays in conveyancing, and in mortgage and farm loan applications.”

“The approaching deadline has been a cause of concern for many people, particularly farmers, and it also has been raised with the Minister by the Bar Council and the Law Society of Ireland,” added Deputy McNamara.

Should the short amending Bill successfully pass through the Dáil, as expected, the law applicable to prescriptive easements and profits will largely revert to the judge-made law that applied before the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. It will still be possible to confirm a prescriptive right, either by applying to court or by registering it directly with the Property Registration Authority. However, this will be optional, as it was before the 2009 Act, rather than a mandatory requirement to avoid losing any rights of way acquired through long use.

Special Criminal Court

We need to have a meaningful discussion about the Special Criminal Court and the need for safeguards around the non-jury trial process, not just another rubber stamping by the Oireachtas. I discussed the issue with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD and Sarah McInerney on RTÉ’s Today programme.